The subject invention relates to a plastic mount for a stamping die. More specifically, a mount formed by an injection molding technique is disclosed having a sturdy construction including an integral handle.
In the prior art, stamp mounts adapted to retain a stamping die are used for transferring inked indicia from the die to a substrate. A conventional mount generally includes an elongated tubular base, of rectangular cross-section, having a handle connected thereto. The bottom surface of the base is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending ribs defining a boundary for aligning a cushion and the stamping die. In use, after inking the die from a pad, pressure is placed on the stamp mount to transfer the indicia from the die to a substrate. Since the indicia on the die is embossed in mirror image fashion, it is desirable to provide some form of marking on the front surface of the mount to identify the die. Typically, the means for identifying the die includes a paper card having indicia printed thereon corresponding to the indicia on the die. The paper card is interposed between the front surface of the base and a C-shaped transparent strip. A rib extending along the top surface of the base, contiguous with the front surface thereof, cooperates with a rib on the bottom surface of the base to slidably receive and retain the C-shaped strip. By this arrangement, the C-shaped strip holds and protects the paper card such that the indicia, printed thereon, may be easily read.
In the prior art the labor costs associated with the production of stamp mounts have been fairly high. More particularly, the manufacturer of stamp mounts generally purchases long strips of wood having the above described ribs configured therein. When orders are placed for particular stamps, a strip of wood is cut into segments having a length sufficient to contain the corresponding indicia. After the segments of wood have been cut, it is necessary to finish each piece individually. For example, the ends of each piece must be sanded to prevent injury to the user and to improve its aesthetic appearance. Thereafter, a hole is drilled in the top surface of the base to permit the attachment of a handle, which may be formed from either plastic or wood. Accordingly, while the material costs of the wood base itself is fairly low, the total cost to the consumer, which includes the labor of finishing the mount is relatively high. Another shortcoming of the prior art mounts is that the connection, between the handle and the base, frequently becomes loose from repeated use, thereby resulting in a separation therebetween, rendering the mount inoperable.
Accordingly, efforts have been made to produce stamp mounts of sturdier construction, having fixed sizes such that labor costs for finishing, which are continually escalating, are eliminated. One solution that has been proposed is the use of a preformed plastic mount having an integral handle. As can be appreciated, while the material cost of plastic may be slightly higher than wood, if a mount could be molded relatively inexpensively, the total cost of the mount to the consumer would be less than the prior art mount which included high finishing costs. It is apparent that a one piece, non-hollow mount solidly molded from plastic could never satisfy the cost criteria since the amount of plastic necessary to form a solid mount would be prohibitively expensive. Accordingly, attempts have been made to develop hollow mounts, formed from front and rear segments joined together, in order to substantially reduce the cost of materials.
Various problems arose when attempts were made to produce a hollow, two-part plastic stamp. More specifically, when producing the front segment of a two-part plastic stamp mount, the mold must be designed to include interior recesses for defining the upper and lower cooperating ribs which receive and retain the C-shaped transparent strip. In the molding operation, the ribs become entrapped in the recesses such that sophisticated cam mechanisms are required to eject the finished part from the mold. As can be appreciated, molding operations which require cam action mechanism are significantly higher in cost. In addition, cam action molding is slower and is more likely to malfunction than simpler molding techniques. Further, when forming stamps of relatively smaller dimensions, space restrictions prevent the use of a cam action mold.
Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved plastic mount for a stamping die which may be produced by a molding technique without cam action mechanisms.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved plastic mount for a stamping die which is hollow and formed of two connected segments.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved plastic mount for a stamping die wherein the handle is formed integrally with the base providing a sturdy construction.